Science
Scientific discoveries and research
Study suggests natural sounds help us feel more attached to specific places
A new study suggests the sounds around us have a significant impact on how we feel about physical spaces, with natural sounds—such as birdsong—associated with a...
Ways to help protect Australia's birds and mammals from bird flu
The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has now spread from migratory birds to infect resident Australian birds. Clusters of dead birds have been found in several lo...
Bird flu decimated South America's marine mammals. What can Australia do differently?
Australia is now confronting an outbreak of a deadly bird flu strain. As of Monday, the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus had been detected in 78 wild birds across m...
Venus's polygonal plains could point to a watery past
Venus may be overwhelmingly inhospitable today, but many planetary scientists believe that it wasn't always this way. Billions of years ago, some observational...
Butterflies are on the move as the planet warms: New research
Imagine spotting a butterfly species in your garden that you have never seen before. You might take a photo and upload it to a citizen science app or tell a loc...
Drought-hardy ryegrass raises new weed management challenge
A study by La Trobe University researchers has found annual ryegrass, the most damaging weed in Australian grain systems, can adjust its growth and reproduction...
Melting sea ice combines with Arctic sea to make clouds
Scientists have uncovered a previously unknown natural process that dramatically increases the number of cloud-forming particles in the Arctic atmosphere—potent...
'Like the end of the world': The eclipse chasers flocking to Spain
Suddenly, the world is plunged into an eerie, violet darkness. The temperature drops. Birds and other animals, bewildered by unforeseen night, start behaving st...
Egg oiling offers a targeted way to reduce raven predation on vulnerable prey
Common ravens are intelligent omnivores that regularly consume the eggs and young of nesting birds, and their populations are boosted by human-provided food and...
A new species of Ice Age toad discovered at La Brea Tar Pits: The spadefoot toad Spea labreae
For the first time, researchers have discovered a new species of extinct amphibian from Ice Age Los Angeles at La Brea Tar Pits: a spadefoot toad they have name...
Metal-free process makes plant dyes more durable for textiles
Research in the International Journal of Materials and Product Technology describes a metal-free dye-fixing process that could help make natural plant dyes more...
In Atlantic Forest restoration, connection between fragments is more important than fragment size
Seed dispersal through wind, water or animals is a crucial process for forest renewal and biodiversity preservation. In the Atlantic Forest, a new study showed...